Weekly Wellness: Protein Sources for your Smoothie

COLUMBIA - In order for smoothies to be a good meal replacement, you need to make sure you include protein. Some of us may not be fans of protein powders (maybe they taste a little weird to us), so this week we’re going to focus on other sources of protein for you to consider.

Nut Butter: Two tablespoons of peanut butter can add eight grams of protein to your smoothie, while almond butter can add seven grams.

Tofu: Tofu is a soy-based food that can add 10 grams of protein for every half-cup you add to your smoothie. Bonus: it'll take on whatever flavor you add in, whether it's vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, or fruit – and make the consistency of your smoothie thicker.

Beans: Toss some chickpeas or cannellini beans into your blender to up the nutrition of any of your favorite blends. You'll get roughly three to four grams of protein tacked onto your blended beverage.

Cottage Cheese: Adding cottage cheese to your smoothie can give it a milkshake-like consistency and flavor, and depending on the variety, it can have even more protein than yogurt, with 12 grams per half-cup serving.

Greek or Icelandic Yogurt: Yogurt is a great base for fruit-flavored smoothies, and adds roughly 10 grams of protein to your smoothie!

Coconut Milk: Coconut milk has five grams of protein per cup, and it pairs nicely with other tropical fruits like mango and pineapple.